'Faking It' stars talk real-life faking it (sexuality spoilers)

When I talked to Faking It stars Rita Volk, Katie Stevens and Michael Willett, we covered everything from high school to life on the show’s set to serious spoilers (like the truth about Amy’s sexuality). I also got the stars to open up about the weirdest thing they’ve ever faked in real life for a little popularity (hint: most of their “faking it” confessions involve middle school and crushes). Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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EWCommunity: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever faked to get someone to like you?

Volk: I went to middle school, and I had the biggest puppy-love crush on this boy. He was in eighth grade, and I was in seventh grade, and he was a skateboarder kid, and I pretended to know what I was doing to get him to like me. I didn’t know how to skate, but then I met him, and I was trying to be all cool about it, and I was like, “Yeah, I can turn and stuff.” I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t know why I just thought of that, but that was actually pretty dangerous. I didn’t know what I was doing. I could have broken my leg or something.

Willett: In junior high, I had pretty curly hair, but that was not the thing, or at least, that’s not what I wanted. I wanted like straight emo hair. So I would take my sister’s curling iron, and I would try to straighten my hair until I had fake straight hair. And I would get in trouble because it was too long, and you couldn’t have long hair.

Stevens: Well, when I was in middle school, there was this boy that played the bass in the orchestra, and he was new to school, and I told him that I played the cello, which I didn’t. And then I went to my friend that was in the orchestra and I was like, “Can you teach me some cello?” And she taught me some, and I joined the orchestra just to get this kid to like me. And then I eventually, from joining orchestra, had to learn the cello. I feel like it doesn’t count, because I actually ended up learning it.

Amy has been described as “Karmasexual,” but are we going to see Karma question her sexuality, especially after the threesome scene?

Stevens: I think it’s shocking to her that she feels anything in that moment. Carter’s been really great about not labeling anybody as anything on the show. He hasn’t even really labeled Amy as a lesbian; it’s really just her questioning her sexuality, and I think in high school you do often . Like if you got drunk at a party and kissed your friend, you’re like, “Wait, does that mean that I’m a lesbian? Because I kissed one of my girlfriends?” And I think kids think about that stuff constantly and that’s Carter’s way of doing that. [As for] incorporating the jealousy between Amy and Liam … definitely this season is juicy, I will say that.

Volk: And I can’t speak for Karma, but for Amy, it’s good that Katie brought this up, because I spoke to Carter, and one of the things that’s been out there in the fan feedback is that people are concerned it’s just going to be a tease. You know, [that] Amy’s sexuality is gonna be a tease, because I guess on other shows, girls thought that they were into girls and thought that they were lesbians and then they changed their minds and then decided that they wanted to be with boys. I don’t know about Karma’s path, but for Amy, she is a lesbian, and Carter and I talked about that. We don’t want it to be a tease, we don’t want people to feel like they can relate to this vulnerable process that she’s going through, and they can relate to this girl because she’s a lesbian and then have that taken away, like, “Oh, never mind, you know, I’m into guys now.” It won’t be like that. I wanna put that out there, because I feel like I am so protective of Amy at this point, and I’m so protective of the fans that find a really, really great sense of comfort in this character, and I want them to know that this is pretty much who she is. And even though she’s questioning the whole process now — and she’s feeling ostracized and she’s feeling like everything is new and she doesn’t really quite know how to deal with it — she is, at the end of the day, a lesbian. She’s into girls. And that’s what she’s gonna discover.

The show has a strong relationship with The Trevor Project. Have you had any memorable moments talking to fans or working with that organization?

Volk: That’s so great that you asked that because I just sent an email to everybody [from Faking It]. I got a letter from a fan through Twitter, and she basically said that she has been bullied ever since she was very young in middle school, and she came out not too long ago, and it was a really beautiful, heartfelt letter. And it made me cry because she got really emotional over it and basically said she’s in love with the show, and it’s her happy place, and it helped her get through this really, really difficult self-discovery process that she’s going through. It’s just amazing to know that the show itself and the premise of it are getting to do that for people. It is an absolute honor for us to be a part of that.

Willett: I had an experience with someone on Instagram. He messaged me saying that he related to Shane, and he felt like he’d never related to a gay character on television before, and I think that’s a really great thing because, to me, that meant that we were creating something really original that hadn’t been seen before that was, you know, groundbreaking.

Stevens: We actually did — through The Trevor Project and with GLAAD — we did a screening at the LGBT center in L.A. and we did a Q&A at the end. And there was a girl in the audience who raised her hand and said, “You know, I don’t have a question, but thank you for creating this show because I came to the realization that I was a lesbian when I fell in love with my best friend in high school.” So, you know, for us, we just create this show, and we know that it’s something special, and we hope that it reaches people, but it’s amazing to know that you’re actually recreating an experience that somebody actually had. That’s probably been the most rewarding thing, getting feedback from the fans, because everything has been so positive.

Be sure to check back next week for the final installment of the EW Community’s Q&A with cast members of Faking It, in which Rita, Katie and Michael tell all about life on set.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons

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